PREVIEW: Phantoms vs. Marlies, Game #27

Lehigh Valley Phantoms (11-10-5) vs. Toronto Marlies (14-4-5)
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Friday, December 20, 2024 (7:05 p.m.) – Game #27

TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (11-10-5) play their final home games before the holiday break as they host the Toronto Marlies, AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Toronto (14-4-5) has the fewest regulation losses in the AHL as well as a .717 points percentage that is also tops in the league although they are only in third place in the North Division standings in points due to fewer games played.

The Phantoms have won back-to-back overtime thrillers as they build momentum going into some well-deserved time off in a few days.

The Marlies won the first game between the two teams 6-3 on December 10 in Toronto overcoming an early 2-0 Phantoms’ advantage.

Tonight’s game features a veritable holiday extravaganza at PPL Center including pictures with Santa, ornament decorating, and a holiday light show at the intermission. It is also meLVin Youth Winter Knit Cap Night from Reilly Children’s Hospital.

LAST TIME – The Comeback Kids did it again. Trailing 2-0 in the third period, Garrett Wilson’s Gordie Howe Hat Trick sparked another terrific comeback in a 4-3 overtime victory over the providence Bruins on Wednesday night at PPL Center. Olle Lycksell sniped his third overtime goal of the season and Jacob Gaucher scored his team-leading 12th of the year. Massimo Rizzo scored his first career pro goal and added an assist. But it was Wilson’s fight at the end of the second period that got the team going. He followed that up with a tying goal in the third period and then an assist on the go-ahead goal for Rizzo that briefly put the Phantoms ahead at 3-2. Cal Petersen made a penalty shot denial with under seven minutes left to preserve the 3-3 tie.

MEDIA MATERIALS – Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight’s game here: https://www.phantomshockey.com/media-materials/

ANDRAE ARRIVES – The Philadelphia Flyers have loaned defenseman Emil Andrae to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Andrae, 22, has played in 20 games with the Flyers this season as well as four games with Philadelphia last year. The slick, puck-moving defenseman scored his first career NHL goal on November 25 against Vegas.

Andrae is in his second full professional season in North America after a solid rookie campaign with Lehigh Valley in which he produced 5-27-32 in 61 games played. He has played in one game with the Phantoms this season on October 25. He played in 10 games with the Phantoms at the end of the 2022-23 season scoring 2-4-6 and on his AHL career with Lehigh Valley has produced 7-32-39 in 72 games. The 5’9″ left-handed shooter from Vastervik, Sweden was a second-round selection (#54) of the Flyers in the 2020 NHL Draft.

TRANSACTIONS
Dec 20 – Emil Andrae – Add – Loaned to Phantoms from Philadelphia
Dec 19 – Sawyer Boulton – Del – Loaned to Reading-ECHL from Phantoms
Dec 19 – Sam Sedley – Del – Loaned to Reading-ECHL from Phantoms

OVERTIME MANIA – Lehigh Valley leads the league with 12 overtime games in just 26 total games played as well as six overtime wins. Lehigh Valley is 6-4 in overtimes and 1-1 in shootouts. Olle Lycksell has tied a franchise record with three overtime goals in a season and also tied a franchise record for fastest overtime goal with his Wednesday night snipe just 14 seconds into the extra period. All three of Lycksell’s overtime goals have come at PPL Center including November 13 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, November 30 against Hershey and December 18 against Providence.

On Saturday in Cleveland, Louie Belpedio became only the fifth player in Phantoms franchise history to record four career overtime goals.

The Phantoms have won consecutive overtime games on three occasions this season, something that had only been done twice in the first 10 years since the team’s arrival to the Lehigh Valley in 2014.

The Phantoms franchise record for overtime wins in a season is eight which has happened two previous times including last year.

PHANTOMS FRANCHISE RECORD BOOK
Overtime Goals in a Season
3 – Olle Lycksell (2024-25)
3 – John Slaney (2003-04)

Fastest Overtime Goal
14 secs – Olle Lycksell (12/18/2024 vs. Providence)
14 secs – Brandon Manning (10/28/2012 at Syracuse)

Overtime Goals in Career:
John Slaney – 6
T.J. Brennan – 5
Peter White – 5
LOUIE BELPEDIO – 4
Jason Akeson – 4

PHANTASTIC – 

– The goals keep coming for Jacob Gaucher who now has four goals in the last four games beginning with a two-goal performance last Tuesday at Toronto. Gaucher also has six goals in the last eight games. He was signed by the Flyers to a two-year NHL contract on December 12 after almost 2.5 seasons on an AHL deal.

– Lehigh Valley is tied with Hershey for the most one-goal games in the AHL with 18 contests out of 26 total being decided by a single score. Lehigh Valley is 9-4-5 in the squeakers including 6-0-2 at home in one-goal games.

– Olle Lycksell leads the AHL with 98 shots on goal. Ethan Samson is fourth among defensemen with 59 shots on goal. The Phantoms are third in the conference and seventh in the league with 31 shots per game.

MEETING THE MARLIES – Toronto (14-4-5) comes to Allentown for a rematch of last Tuesday’s clash North of the Border. The Marlies’ .717 points percentage is tops in the entire league but due to fewer games played, the Marlies are in third place in the North Division in points. Toronto’s four regulation losses are fewest in the AHL. Leading scorer Alex Steeves (15-8-23) recently had a six-game goal streak, now has goals in seven of the last eight games and a total of 10 goals in that stretch. His 15 goals rates fourth in the AHL.

Toronto’s roster has been bolstered by the return of Alex Nylander (11-7-18) from the Maple Leafs. The former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguin of three seasons racked up a hat trick and overtime winner against Bakersfield on Saturday overcoming a 5-1 deficit to post a 6-5 win. The Marlies’ stingy defense is surrendering just 2.52 goals per game, second in the AHL just barely behind Syracuse. Goaltender Matt Murray posted a 3-0 shutout win at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday but has since been recalled to the Maple Leafs.

The Phantoms lost at Toronto 6-3 on December 10 after initially racing out to a 2-0 lead on a pair of goals by Jacob Gaucher. J.R. Avon also scored a power-play goal in the setback. Defenseman Mikko Kokkonen scored his first two goals of the season while Marlies captain Logan Shaw had one goal and two assists.

SCORING LEADERS
Lehigh Valley
Samu Tuomaala 8-12-20
Olle Lycksell 6-14-20
Jacob Gaucher 12-6-18
Anthony Richard 6-10-16
Oscar Eklind 4-8-12
Rhett Gardner 4-7-11

Toronto
Alex Steeves 15-8-23
Alex Nylander 11-7-18
Logan Shaw 3-14-17
Nick Abruzzese 7-16-23
Nikita Grebenkin 5-6-11

Special Teams:
Lehigh Valley – PP 20.0%, 9th / PK 82.8%, 14th
Toronto – PP 19.7%, 11th / PK 84.9%, 8th

COMING UP –  The last game before the Holiday Break is tomorrow at 6:05 at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The Phantoms return to action on Friday, December 27 also at rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton before coming back to PPL Center to take on the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday, December 28 featuring postgame photos with the Phantoms players presented by NJM Insurance.

UPCOMING

Friday, December 20 (7:05) – Toronto Marlies at Phantoms – meLVin Youth Winter Knit Cap presented by Reilly Children’s Hospital

Saturday, December 21 (6:05) – Phantoms at W-B/Scranton Penguins

Friday, December 27 (7:05) – Phantoms at W-B/Scranton Penguins

Saturday, December 28 (7:05) – Charlotte Checkers at Phantoms – Postgame Photographs with the Phantoms players presented by NJM Insurance

Tuesday, December 31 (7:05) – Charlotte Checkers at Phantoms – Light-up glow sticks from Penn Community Bank. World’s Largest Puck-Drop at Midnight!

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